1). Mo' money, mo' problems
Although the US Dollar's value changes every day, we typically have pretty standard conversions when mentally calculating how much money we'll be spending in another country. I figured since Chile used the peso, it'd be the same exchange rate as Mexico, with $1US = around $10 pesos. However, in Chile, $1 US = roughly $465 Chilean Pesos. Wait... what?! As someone whose favorite subject has nothing to do with numbers, it seemed impossible at first to figure out how much I was spending for every $2300 ice cream cone. But thanks to a certain group of clever, math-savvy friends of mine, I now know this trick:
a). How much is whatever you're buying? $6000 Chilean Pesos.
b). Multiply this by 2: (6000 x 2 = 12000).
c). Take off three zeros. If you got $12 US, good job! You just paid $12 for two drinks. (True story - this happened to me last week)
2). Bundle up!
Because Chile is on the other side of the equator, get ready for a very cold winter when you leave the hot and humid US summer. What's so bad about a little change? I'll tell you what - no central heating. Now, if you love camping and all that jazz and are perfectly fine with trying to get to sleep with chattering teeth and frozen toes, you should really take up living in South America. For those of us who like to seek shelter from the cold in a cozy, warm house, don't expect anything of the sort in Chile. It may even be colder inside! Bring every sweatshirt, sock, and pair of sweatpants that you own and get under the covers. When it's time to face the day and actually bear the elements outside of your bed, suck it up and get undressed like it's a new Olympic sport and you're dying for that gold (the gold being under 10 new layers of clothes). You will savor every shower like you'll never have warmth again.
3). Forget about structure and relax
Because I have a Type-A personality and function better with structure, this has been the hardest adjustment for me thus far. A lot of processes that seem organized and easy to follow in the United States can turn into disorder and chaos in no time without a fixed system or schedule. Registering for classes was a total nightmare for me, as we had to visit every different department of the university and scribble our names on a piece of printer paper to officially be enrolled in each class. This wouldn't have been as difficult if we didn't have to enroll in 20 classes in the beginning with no guidance of what to take. The point is, the systems are different here and typically less rigid. If there are no lanes in the road, you better believe cars are going to swarm with no sense of order. If you make plans with someone, don't expect them to be on time or even follow through. Just "go with the flow" and don't be such an uptight American (someone please remind me of this from time to time).
4). Don't take it personally.
If you're different, it will be known. And announced. And continuously brought up. Although people with blonde hair, or rubios, have a reputation for standing out like sore thumbs and attracting a lot of attention, I feel like I've had it much easier than others in this society. While the uncomfortable, prolonged staring by people of all ages gets old very quickly (I cannot begin to explain how awkward situations can get sometimes), I'd rather be called "Barbie" every day by my maid than "fat girl," or gordita, which is a common nickname for those who are overweight. In the home, with friends, at work, or in the classroom, a common practice is to refer to someone by their appearance. You're black? You're
probably going to be called la negra when someone is referring to you. Asian? La china is your new name. While neither of these names are politically correct or accepted in our culture, they are only terms of endearment to classify who is who in Chile (and in Latin America, for that matter). The most uncomfortable time I've had with these nicknames is with my host sister, who is constantly being reminded she is overweight at meals, during exercise, and when talking about clothes. Instead of being insulted, the people here just take these comments lightly and joke back with the other person. Don't be surprised if someone casually asks how much you weigh or how much your shoes cost.
5). Develop a giant obsession with mayonnaise.
This pretty much speaks for itself. Mayonnaise is on everything. And the Chileans always wonder why their nation isn't the skinniest. Hello! You have three bags of Hellmann's in your fridge (it comes in squeeze bags, not bottles)! The most amusing meal I've had was a salad of a couple green beans and pieces of corn, with two slices of ham covered in mayonnaise. Get used to it or specify that you don't want it, or else a huge glob of it will be on your next serving of potatoes. This rule also applies to palmitas, the white, tasteless, half-crunchy-half-soft vegetables that are on every salad and sandwich.
6). Accept the problem of homeless hounds
I lied, this may be the hardest problem I've encountered. The public places in Chile have numerous stray dogs in all parts of town. Many used to be owned by residents and were later just left on the streets to fend for themselves. Most of the dogs find solace in being alone and have no problem sleeping in the middle of a busy sidewalk, which can be quite sad and hilarious at the same time. The hardest time I have is when a dog looks emaciated and follows you as soon as you walk by until you either give it food or tell it to go away. I am too emotionally attached to fully ignore this problem as the people of Chile seem to do, but have to remind myself that because of this issue, many people feed the dogs in their neighborhood to keep them alive. However, I still wish something along the lines of a Humane Society initiative would be put in place.
And only because I stayed out until 6:30 in the morning last night, I thought I'd add one more to the list:
7). Watch out for that damn pisco.
Pisco is THE drink of Chile, the favorite drink of men and women. Pisco is a brandy made from grapes, and mixes well with many other drinks. The most popular drinks are "Pisco Sours" and "PisColas," in which I've typically seen half the glass filled with pisco and the other filled with the respective mixer. In my opinion, pisco is to Chile as beer is to the United States. However, it is very strong and is known to give massive cañas, or hangovers. Just take my advice... or the pisco will getcha.
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